She hires a “fake fiancé,” unaware that he is a South Korean mafia boss searching for his long-lost love.
The floor-to-ceiling glass walls of the top floor of the corporate tower couldn’t soothe the turmoil swirling within Zuri.
From her vantage point, she could see the entire city. The brightly lit streets meandered like rivers of light. The cars below were mere tiny dots. Everything seemed peaceful.
But inside, it wasn’t.
At thirty, Zuri was the youngest female CEO to ever lead the giant tech corporation her grandfather left behind. The press called her the “Queen of Steel.” Her rivals called her a nightmare in negotiations.
And her employees feared her more than they loved her.
Zuri didn’t care.
She had spent ten years building that image.
An emotionless woman.
Without weaknesses.
Needing no one by her side.
And that’s what had propelled her to the top.
But now, a piece of paper on her desk threatened everything she had built.
It was her grandfather’s will.
A clause she had always dismissed as a joke.
But it turned out to be legally binding.
If she wanted to retain control of the majority of the family’s shares, she had to get married before the end of the month.
Otherwise…
The board of directors would have the right to vote to replace her.
Zuri looked at the cream-colored envelope on her desk.
A feeling of unease spread through her chest.
She didn’t need a husband.
She needed a solution.
A man trustworthy enough to play that role.
A marriage on paper.
No love.
No emotion.
No trouble.
Just a contract.
A knock sounded at the door.
“May I come in?”
Tayo entered.
The assistant had been with Zuri for almost eight years.
The only one who dared to argue with her.
And also the only one who saw the rare moments of vulnerability behind that steel mask.
Tayo placed the tablet on the table.
“I’ve screened the candidates.”
Zuri glanced through the list.
Lawyer.
Businessman.
Model.
Financial expert.
None of them piqued her interest.
Until the last profile.
Ren.
No social media accounts.
Not much publicly available information.
A work history in international security.
A simple portrait.
A black suit.
A sharp face.
Dark eyes.
And a strange feeling.
Like the man in the photo was looking right through the viewer.
“I choose this one.”
Tayo frowned.
“He’s the most mysterious person.”
“That’s even better.”
Zuri closed the file.
“I don’t need a husband.”
“I need an employee.”
An hour later.
Ren appeared.
The moment he walked into the office, Zuri noticed something first.
This man was unlike any of the previous candidates.
He wasn’t looking at the city skyline.
He didn’t show any admiration.
He wasn’t nervous.
He wasn’t trying to impress.
He just looked at her.
Calm.
Focused.
Assessing.
Like a hunter surveying the terrain.
That made Zuri uneasy.
She was used to others losing their composure in front of her.
But Ren didn’t.
“Do you understand the requirements?”
Zuri asked.
“Absolutely.”
His voice was low.
Calm.
“I’ll play the husband.”
“I’ll protect your image.”
“When it’s all over, I’ll leave.”
Concise.
Emotionless.
Exactly what she wanted.
At least, that’s what she thought.
What Zuri didn’t know was that Ren wasn’t here for the money.
And certainly not for the fake marriage.
In another world.
A world that didn’t appear in the newspapers.
Ren was known as Minjun.
The head of a powerful underground organization.
Five years ago.
The woman he loved disappeared.
No body.
No explanation.
No trace.
Just vanished from the world.
And all he could find led to the city’s elite.
Places that someone like him couldn’t easily access.
Until the opportunity named Zuri appeared.
She was the door.
And Ren needed to step through it.
The days leading up to the engagement became an endless series of clashes.
Zuri wanted to control everything.
Ren, however, disliked being controlled.
She dragged him to her personal designer.
To choose the suit.
To choose the watch.
To choose the tie.
To choose even how he should smile.
Ren cooperated.
But only to a certain extent.
He refused the expensive diamond watch.
Instead, he chose his old, antique watch.
He changed her wine selection.
He altered the way he told the story of how they met.
He always conceded just enough.
But never allowed himself to become a puppet.
That drove Zuri crazy.
And also made her curious.
The engagement party was held in a luxurious hotel.
It wasn’t a party.
It was a battlefield.
Polite smiles.
Fake handshakes.
Calculated congratulations.
And then Silas appeared.
Zuri’s longtime rival.
He looked at Ren.
Then sneered.
“I didn’t expect you to be so desperate that you had to hire a husband.”
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Zuri prepared to retort.
But Ren acted first.
He stepped forward.
He placed his hand on Silas’s shoulder.
At first glance, it seemed like a friendly gesture.
But Silas’s face immediately turned pale.
Ren leaned closer.
He whispered something.
No one heard.
Only a few seconds later.
Silas recoiled.
Completely losing his arrogance.
“I’m sorry.” He spoke.
Then he left.
Zuri watched him go.
Stunned.
“What did you say to him?”
Ren took a sip of champagne.
“I just reminded him of manners.”
The smile at the corner of his lips told her that wasn’t the whole truth.
That night.
For the first time in years.
Zuri felt safe.
Not because of the bodyguards.
Not because of the power.
But because of the man standing beside her.
That was more terrifying than anything else.
Because she wasn’t used to relying on anyone.
Time passed.
The once cold penthouse gradually changed.
Ren appeared in every corner of her life.
He fixed the security system.
Reorganized the kitchen.
Made coffee.
Cooked.
And somehow.
Transform that luxurious residence into a real home.
One rainy evening.
Zuri returned early.
She found Ren sitting on the floor repairing a circuit board.
His shirt had been replaced with a white t-shirt.
The scars running down his arm were clearly visible under the light.
She realized she knew nothing about him.
Absolutely nothing.
And that made her want to learn more.
When the final voting day arrived.
Ren stood beside her in the meeting room.
The shareholders relentlessly questioned.
Suspicion.
Attack.
But Ren remained calm.
He handled every question with astonishing confidence.
As if he were born to face power struggles.
Finally.
The gavel struck.
Zuri won.
She kept the corporation.
It was all over.
At least, according to the contract.
And that’s when she panicked.
Because if Ren stayed…
She would have to admit what she’d always denied.
That she loved him.
That she needed him.
That the most powerful woman in the city, it turned out, still knew loneliness.
So she did the only thing she knew how to do.
She rebuilt the walls.
Give him the check.
And tell him to leave.
Ren stared at the check for a long time.
Then he laughed.
A painful laugh.
He tore the check in half.
The white pieces of paper flew to the floor.
“Do you think I did all this for money?”
His voice was hoarse.
“I stayed because I thought you were brave enough to choose what was right.”
“But perhaps I was wrong.”
Then he left.
The penthouse instantly became empty.
Cold.
Silent.
No more smell of the coffee he brewed.
No more familiar footsteps.
No more the person who made this place feel like home.
For the first time in her life.
Zuri realized how painful victory could be.
A week later.
She couldn’t bear it anymore.
She started searching for him.
And then she discovered the truth.
Ren was never a consultant.
He was Minjun.
The man known throughout the underworld.
Dangerous.
Powerful.
Terrifying.
Finally.
The trail led her to a secret casino.
When she entered.
The entire room fell silent.
The tattooed men stared at her as if she had just stumbled into predatory territory.
But Zuri didn’t turn around.
She continued moving forward.
And then Ren appeared.
He looked at her.
His gaze changed for a moment.
“Why are you here?”
“Because you left.”
She replied.
Simple.
Honest.
For the first time in her life.
No mask.
Only a bare heart.
“I’m scared.”
She confessed.
“I turned everything into a contract because a contract can’t hurt me.”
“But I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I want to try.”
“I want to take the risk.”
“For you.”
Ren looked at her for a long time.
Then he reached out and wiped away a tear.
No more contract.
No more role.
No more walls.
Only two people remained, both too weary to escape their emotions.
“No more backstop?”
He asked softly.
Zuri smiled.
“No more backstop.”
And this time.
When he kissed her.
It wasn’t a charade.
Not for the shares.
Not for power.
Not for obligation.
But because they finally dared to choose the hardest thing.
To trust another person with all their heart.
In a world full of lies.
